McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LXXVI · Part 8: Dickens, Irving and poems of the heart

82. Death of the Beautiful (Mrs. E. L. Follen)

Goal: Your child reads a short, quiet poem with a gentle voice and says what comfort it offers.

⏱ About 25 minutes · 5 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • A notebook or lined paper and a pencil

What's in the book

A short three-stanza poem by Eliza Lee Follen about how the young and lovely pass away, ending with the thought that such losses call our hearts toward Heaven. (The page also has the end of the Boston Massacre notes.)

The lesson, step by step

  1. About the author

    The book says Eliza Lee Follen (b. 1787, d. 1859) was born in Boston; her maiden name was Cabot. She married Charles Follen, a professor at Harvard. She wrote "Twilight Stories" and "Little Songs," and edited the "Children's Friend" for several years.

  2. Read aloud

    Read the poem slowly, in a low, gentle voice. It begins:

    The young, the lovely, pass away,

    Ne'er to be seen again;

    Earth's fairest flowers too soon decay,

    Its blasted trees remain.

  3. Talk about it

    SayThe poet compares people to flowers and trees. Which ones are the flowers? Which are the "blasted trees"?

    SayHow does the last stanza try to comfort the reader?

    SayDoes this poem feel sad, hopeful or both? Why?

  4. Tell it back

    Close the book.

    SayTell me what each stanza says, in your own words.

    Keep this one short and gentle.

  5. Copywork

    Your child copies the first stanza carefully, line by line:

    The young, the lovely, pass away,

    Ne'er to be seen again;

    Earth's fairest flowers too soon decay,

    Its blasted trees remain.

    Point out the apostrophes in "Ne'er" and "Earth's." What does each one do?

Tip

This poem is about death. If your family has had a recent loss, read it together and let your child lead the talk.

@teddyrookbook GitHub